On April 11-12, 2013, the Mowat Centre and the Canada-US Law Institute, in partnership with many regional actors, launched a new bi-national organization to advance effective and coordinated private sector, public sector, and civil society responses to our shared regional challenges: the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR).
[three_fourth]
Over 250 people registered to attend the launch, and most participants were optimistic about the region’s economic and environmental prospects, but there was also a sense of urgent challenge. Most participants agreed that deeper collaboration was needed across national, state and provincial borders.
There was wide agreement that we can all achieve more if we start to speak and act as one region. In particular, there was consensus that CGLR should work to integrate the economic and environmental agendas in the region. It was also clear that much work lies ahead for CGLR. On some issues, there is not yet consensus among different organizations in the region about what role CGLR should play.
The advice of many organizations and launch participants crystallized in a working meeting at the conclusion of the CGLR launch, during which specific projects were discussed. Further detail regarding CGLR’s early projects is available here.
Working within the broader thematic areas of the economy and the environment, these projects will generate a record of successful action for CGLR and, in the process, help consolidate our working groups, generate input and engagement from across the region, and develop a consensus on Great Lakes regional priorities.
[/three_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]
[button link=”http://wp.councilgreatlakesregion.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/CGLR_Launch_Agenda.pdf” size=”medium” target=”self”]View Launch Agenda[/button]
[/one_fourth_last]
